FM Conway delivers essential construction and maintenance for public transportation networks and community spaces. The business has around 2,000 employees and produced annual revenue of £580 million in the financial year ending 31 March 2024.
Founded in 1961 by Francis Michael Conway, FM Conway was owned by the Conway family. Based in Sevenoaks, Kent, the company operates across England, with a particular focus on the south-east of the country.
VINCI is a global player in concessions, energy and construction, with more than 280,000 employees across more than 120 countries. In 2023, the VINCI Group generated a total revenue of almost €6 billion in the United Kingdom through its three business lines (concessions, energy and construction) and employed around 13,000 people.
Mark Goldsworthy, CFO of FM Conway, said: “Having completed multiple transactions with the Wedlake Bell team, they were the first choice to advise on the sale of FM Conway. Their support and advice is always provided with the commercial acumen to execute transactions across a wide range of deal sizes and timeframes.”
Stephen Callender, corporate partner, who led the Wedlake Bell M&A team, commented: “Having advised FM Conway on numerous acquisitions for nearly ten years as the company built its market leading presence, it was hugely rewarding to support the family with their well-deserved exit and the management team as they embark on the next chapter of FM Conway’s growth story.”
The transaction further demonstrates Wedlake Bell’s expertise in the construction and industrials sector as well as our experience in delivering exits for multi-generational stakeholders in long established family businesses, both of which continue to be a strong focus for the M&A team at Wedlake Bell.
Wedlake Bell’s cross-department team was led by Stephen Callender (Partner, Corporate) who was supported by Tom Boersma (Senior Associate, Corporate), James French (Senior Associate, Corporate), Enea Aniaj (Solicitor, Corporate), Hilary Platt (Partner, Banking), Paledi Mashile (Associate, Banking), Grainne McCourt (Legal Director, Real Estate), Mike Ridsdale (Partner, Tax), Gemma Williams (Solicitor, Tax), Choy Lau (Legal Director, Employment), George Cornell (Solicitor, Employment), Adam Betts (Partner, IPCOM), Maya de Silva (Solicitor, IPCOM), Justin McGilloway (Partner, Pensions) and James Newcome (Senior Associate, Pensions).